{"id":30962,"date":"2018-05-24T18:39:06","date_gmt":"2018-05-25T00:39:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/?p=30962"},"modified":"2018-08-19T14:11:17","modified_gmt":"2018-08-19T20:11:17","slug":"everest-2018-season-summary-record-weather-record-summits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/2018\/05\/24\/everest-2018-season-summary-record-weather-record-summits\/","title":{"rendered":"Everest 2018: Season Summary – Record Weather, Record Summits"},"content":{"rendered":"

With an unprecedented weather window, the Everest season is winding down I estimate a total of over 800 summits smashing the previous record set in 2013 of 667 from both sides by members and support climbers. The Nepal Ministry of Tourism<\/a> reported on 16 August 2018 that a total of 563 people summited during the spring of 2018 made up of 302 High Altitude Workers (aka Sherpas) and 261 foreigners (aka members) using the standard Southeast Ridge route in Nepal. I estimate 239 summits on the Northeast Ridge in Tibet. Nepal issued 347 Everest climbing permits to foreigners, including 20 Nepalis, making the overall summit rate of 75% for members on the South side. There were 52 female summits on the Nepal side in 2018.\u00a0The Nepal Government collected USD$5,172,408 in permit fees.\u00a0They noted that the summiteers included 51 Indians, 49 Americans and 47 Chinese.<\/p>\n

Big Picture<\/h3>\n

Early in May, there was talk of early summits but then the jet stream moved on top of Everest and stopped all activity for a week. When a large high-pressure system parked on the summit, the door was opened and stayed that way for 11 straight days. The first summits were on May 14 by the rope fixing team on the Nepal side followed the next day by 70-year-old Chinese double-amputee Xia Boya with his Sherpa guides. Every day thereafter had summits from both the sides.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Overall it was about as good of a season as could be expected on the world\u2019s highest peak. The temperatures were bit warmer than usual and the winds were calmer in spite of the occasional \u201cdifficult\u201d summit day. With the long weather window, teams spread out thus reducing the usual crowding we\u2019ve seen before. In 2012 there were less than five suitable summit days forcing hundreds to attempt the peak on the same day.<\/p>\n

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The Khumbu Icefall<\/h3>\n

Of all the features climbing Everest the 2nd Step on the Tibet side and the Khumbu Icefall on the Nepal dominates the attention. This year the Icefall was well behaved. The Icefall Doctors got the route in pretty early and took it direct making it fast and safe. There were a few incidents with serac collapses and the normal delays but overall long-time guides raved about the work of the Docs. This avalanche occurred late in the season in the afternoon when no one was in the Icefall.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/06fa1f78-057c-434e-aaed-ad8fdc23c69c.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n

But the big obstacle was just above \u00a0Camp 1 in the Western Cwm where somewhat deep crevasses are expected but this year a “Ice Wall” created a hazard that some people just couldn’t handle.<\/p>\n